The Benefits of Mobile Access Control

Eureka! We can use our mobile phones for access control.

One of the original ideas for Sequr came from working at a coworking space when we were just getting started. This coworking space used keycards and each paying member was assigned a single card. However, we were a couple of young and broke recent college grads, so instead of buying multiple memberships we got a single membership and made copies of the keycard with a reader writer bought on eBay.

Now, we’re not condoning this practice! But it did serve as the inspiration for us to ask, "why are we still using key cards in 2015?". They’re clunky, outdated, and insecure. We lose them all the time, we can share them, and they can be copied by spending $15 on eBay for an RFID reader writer. The time had come to start using mobile phones for access rather than simple keycards.

Which brings us to the main point: mobile keys are much more secure and convenient than traditional keycards. Let’s breakdown the reasons why.

Improved Security

Standard key cards are extremely prone to sharing, copying, and theft. It’s really that simple. Most companies think they offer security with these cards, but often they are a threat. With Sequr’s mobile keys companies can leverage single sign-on (SSO) for provisioning of keys and two-factor authentication for use of the keys, which add two extra layers of security that a standard keycard cannot offer.

Furthermore, mobile keys cannot be copied with a reader writer as they are locked to the user’s mobile phone.

Reclaim Your Time

Another problem for large companies is the provisioning and deprovisioning of keycards across multiple offices and hundreds (or thousands) of employees. Using mobile credentials can allow you to fully automate the provisioning of access to your company’s facilities remotely. No more handing out physical cards and punching in the numbers. By leveraging an identity management integration, like Okta or OneLogin, with mobile credentials from Sequr, you can reclaim all the time your team spends adding and removing keycards from your system.

How Does it Work?

Unlike other mobile access control systems, Sequr’s mobile access app allows you to simply tap or shake your phone near the door reader to gain access. With Sequr, you don’t even have to open the app or scroll through a list of doors to find the right button needed to open a door. Sequr’s mobile access control product functions just like a keycard, only with super powers.